Artist's Conception of Kepler-78b (IMAGE)

Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian

Artist's Conception of Kepler-78b

Caption

Kepler-78b is a planet that shouldn't exist. This scorching lava world, shown here in an artist's conception, circles its star every eight and a half hours at a distance of less than one million miles. According to current theories of planet formation, it couldn't have formed so close to its star, nor could it have moved there.

Credit

David A. Aguilar (CfA)

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